This invention is related to high solids coating compositions, in particular, to high solids acrylic coating compositions.
Acrylic coating compositions that are crosslinked with melamine resins are well known in the art as shown by Vasta U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,651, issued Nov. 23, 1971; Hick U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,895, issued Oct. 15, 1974; Parker U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,734, issued July 4, 1972 and Parker U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,546, issued Jan. 25, 1972. These patents illustrate high quality coating compositions. However, these compositions have a relatively high solvent content to provide for good application properties and good properties of the resulting dried finish. To utilize these compositions in areas which have strict air pollution regulations, pollution abatement equipment is required. This equipment is expensive and it increases capital investment of a plant and is costly to operate. Any attempt to reduce the solvent content of these compositions generally results in finishes which have either a poor appearance or unacceptable properties or both.
There is a great need for a coating composition that has a low solvent content and that can be utilized without pollution abatement equipment but still provides a high quality finish which is useful as an exterior finish for automobiles, trucks, airplanes and as an appliance finish. The high solids coating composition of this invention has these desirable characteristics.